"Our involvement in the war was justifiable, and this belongs to our sovereign rights," North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said. "I regard this as part of the sacred mission we must execute for our brothers and comrades-in-arms."
"We have a plan B and a plan C. But our focus is plan A, the essence of which is to get everyone's support" for Ukraine's accession, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
"(T)he presence at the Victory Parade of a country that bombs cities, hospitals, and daycares, and which has caused the deaths and injuries of over a million people over three years, is a shame," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
"According to the participants of the performances, their goal is to remind the civilized world of the barbaric actions of Moscow, which for many years and decades has systematically violated international law," a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent.
"I have great hope that an agreement for a ceasefire in Ukraine will be reached this weekend," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 9, shortly before traveling to Kyiv alongside the leaders of France, Poland, and the U.K.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will arrive in Kyiv early on May 10.
The United States embassy in Kyiv on May 9 issued a warning that Russia could launch "a potentially significant" attack in the coming days, despite Putin's self-declared Victory Day "truce."
The sanctioned oil tankers have transported over $24 billion in cargo since 2024, according to Downing Street. The U.K. has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other country.
Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
Russian MiG-29SMT jet fighters forming the symbol "Z" in support of Russian military action in Ukraine, fly over Red Square during the general rehearsal of the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 7, 2022. (Yuri Kadobnov /AFP via Getty Images)
Two Russian MiG-31K jets that were transferred to Belarus this week have most likely returned to Russia, the Belarusian monitoring group Hajun reported on Oct. 12.
"Based on the available information, we know that after takeoff the MiG-31Ks did not return to the Machulyshchi airfield. The fighters took a course to the south, flew past Baranovichi and then to the east — towards the Russian Federation," the group posted on Telegram.
"Thus, at the moment, it is most likely that the MiGs left the territory of Belarus after takeoff and returned to Russia," the group added.
The two MiG-31K jets landed in Belarus on Oct. 9 and 10, a year and a half after their last appearance in Belarus.
Their sudden appearance at the airfield prompted speculation from Ukrainian officials and military experts that Russia may have moved the jets to Belarus to evade Ukrainian strikes, or to prepare for another massive attack.
The jets can fly at speeds of up to 3,000 kilometers per hour and launch Kinzhal missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers, putting all of Ukraine at risk.
At the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia reportedly had 12 MiG-31s in service. However, Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s Savasleyka airbase on Aug. 16 destroyed at least one MiG-31 and possibly damaged another, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Dominic Culverwell
